Ruby's Strength Read online

  Ruby’s Strength

  Black Hills Shifters

  ELISA LEIGH

  Copyright

  Ruby’s Strength

  Black Hills Shifters

  By Elisa Leigh

  © Elisa Leigh 2018.

  All Rights Reserved

  By the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is intended for adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book Adult Romance due to language and sexual situations.

  ASIN:

  Cover created by: Elisa Leigh using Picmonkey. Photo from Adobe Stock.

  One

  Everett Hollis

  It’s been forty-seven days since I was wheeled off the plane at Ellsworth Air Force Base straight to the infirmary. Forty-one days since I was released from the hospital only to hobble into a debriefing meeting about the failed mission that ended up getting one of my men killed and several others extended stays in the infirmary. After explaining the full extent of what went down, how my superiors had ignored my warnings and went through with the mission, even though I advised against it until we had more intel, their attitudes changed. They ended up offering me a promotion where I’d be in command of even more men, the very men who refused to listen. At thirty-four, I’ve had enough of all the bureaucratic bullshit. I had no business being anyone’s leader. I should have refused and made them listen. Instead, a family doesn’t get their son, their husband, and their daddy back. I countered with a medical discharge. After lengthy discussions, they finally begrudgingly agreed. I spent the next two weeks cutting my ties with Uncle Sam.

  I packed all of my belongings in my military issued duffel and hit the road in my old truck. I’ve been traveling to all the small towns near the Black Hills National forest searching for work in construction. I found a couple side jobs here and there, but nothing that offered more than a few days of work. I need to be outside, working with my hands, keeping my mind too busy to think about what a failure I’ve been. Havenwood is the fifth town I’ve stopped in, and the minute I drove over the county lines last night, some of the heavy that’s been resting on my shoulders, lightened.

  It’s early Saturday morning, and I need a good cup of coffee and some breakfast before I head out to scout some work around here. Berry Delicious is the first food place I come across in ten miles, so I decide to stop, even though it looks like a place for tea parties and not a good cup of coffee like I’m needing.

  “Welcome to Berry Delicious.” Two women, an older and a much younger one call from behind the counter. The pair is smiling and look as though they could be related.

  “Good morning ma’am.” I nod my head at the older one and then look at the other and nod. “Ma’am.”

  “How can we help your handsome self out?”

  “Gram! You can’t say that to every guy that walks in here.”

  She looks at her granddaughter, her eyes full of mischief. “I don’t! I only tell ‘em they’re handsome if it’s true.”

  “What am I going to do with you? I’m sorry sir, how can I help you?”

  I laugh at the two. “No worries, really. I’ll take a large coffee, black, and a breakfast sandwich if you have one.”

  “Which one would you like?” She asks, handing me a paper menu and pointing at the different options they surprisingly offer.

  I whistle, not expecting so many choices then point to the one that is loaded with eggs, meat, and cheese.

  She puts her hands on her hips and arches her eyebrows at me. “What’s that look for?”

  “No offense ma’am-”

  “It’s Aubree, enough of that ma’am nonsense. Get on with it.”

  “Well, Aubree, I wasn’t expecting a place like this to have this kind of food.”

  “And what kind of place is this?” Aubree’s grandmother asks, and I can tell I’m starting to offend them.

  I rub the back of my neck, feeling like I’ve boxed myself into a corner I can’t get out of. “It’s nothing. I just really need a cup of coffee.”

  “Oh no, you want your coffee, you’re gonna spill.” The older woman says waving a wide spatula at me.

  “The place is just kind of frou-frou is all.”

  “Meaning?” Aubree asks crossing her arms in front of her.

  “You know… those tiny little cakes and fancy desserts…”

  “Oh give the poor guy a break you two.” Another woman says walking in from outside wearing a park ranger uniform.

  “Good morning Maura dear. Coffee?” The older woman asks.

  Maura nods “Thank you, Ms. Molly.” When she sits down at the counter and faces me, she asks “So, what’s your story?”

  “I’m new to town and looking for work.”

  “What kind of work?” Aubree asks, placing two coffees in to-go cups in front of us.

  I grab mine and take the lid off to put two sugar packets in and stir it before answering. “I’m looking for handyman kind of jobs, something where I can work outside and with my hands.”

  “You ever work construction before?” Aubree asks and surprises me.

  I nod. “Before I enlisted in the Air Force I was on a crew for a few months.”

  She eyes me skeptically for a long minute. “How about I make you a deal. Bring a package to Cole Majors. Tell him Aubree sent you. Now I’m not saying he’ll give you a shot, because he’s a hardass, but you can give it a try.”

  Ms. Molly places a paper bag in front of me and winks. I open the bag and find not only a huge sandwich but a bear claw and a chocolate muffin as well. When I raise my eyebrows at her, she grins.

  “A growing man like you needs his sustenance, especially if he’s going to be working out in this cold.”

  I smile at the feisty woman and look back to Aubree who’s waiting on my response. “Thank you, Aubree. I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  She gives me a warm smile and loads a couple of boxes up with some of the baked goods in the display case then sets them in front of me. “Cole is my husband and is a fair man. If he gives you a shot, don’t blow it. I wouldn’t call him forgiving.” She tells me before releasing the boxes into my care. “You’ll find the guys working about five miles up the road from here. Go up the hill and when the road forks, make the right and follow it down. You’ll see them working on an old farmhouse. The trucks will say Major Construction on them. I’ll tell him you’re coming.”

  “Thank you again, Aubree. How much will it be?” I ask looking at my breakfast.

  “On the house. If I’m right, we’ll be seeing each other quite often.”

  Nodding, I get up from my seat at the bar and head toward the door with all of the goodies and my coffee. I’m almost out of the door when Aubree asks, “What’s your name by the way?”

  I stop and think for a moment. I’ve been Holl
is for so long, all of my superiors calling me by my last name. It’s time for a change, and I’ll start with my name. “Everett Hollis. People used to call me Rett when I was younger before I joined up.”

  “I’ll tell him to expect a Rett then. Have fun!”

  After loading everything in my truck, I start it up and go the way she told me. I shovel the food into my mouth, barely tasting the sandwich before taking my time on the muffin and bear claw. The bakery might look frou-frou as shit, but their food is delicious. I’ll definitely be seeing them more often. I spot the farmhouse easily and pull in behind the trucks. Three men are talking around one of the vehicles. Grabbing the boxes of goodies, I head over to them. “Cole?”

  “You must be Rett?” The tallest and biggest of the three asks. I nod. “You ever work construction before?” He asks eyeing me.

  “Yeah, right after high school, before I enlisted in the Air Force.”

  “When did you get out?” Cole asks me.

  “A few weeks ago. Listen, man, I was in for sixteen years and have a load of experience in tactical operations, but you don’t need that. I can swing a hammer and have no trouble working hard day after day.”

  “Why didn’t you finish your twenty years if you were so close?”

  I shrug dismissively. “Some things went down that I’m not proud of. My people got hurt, and I should have protected them better. I didn’t deserve to be there leading another unit. I need something different, to get my hands dirty, and my mind off of what happened. If you don’t need my help, I’ll be on my way and find work somewhere else.”

  “Easy brother, we do need another set of hands around here. There isn’t anyone else in these parts hiring for the kind of work you’re searching for. We’ll take you on, probationary. Prove yourself, and we’ll make this position more permanent.”

  “Thank you,” I say and hold out my hand to Cole. His firm grip is almost too strong, but he lets go quickly.

  “These are my brothers Gabe and Slate,” Cole says motioning to the other two guys. We shake hands. “We all own the company together with our sister Ruby. She runs the office and will handle your new hire paperwork. We can do that later this afternoon though. We need to get started since we’re already behind.”

  “Sounds good, tell me where you want me.”

  Two

  Ruby

  Life right now couldn’t get any better. Two of my brothers found their mates and our small family is starting to grow, with some cubs on the horizon, not that anyone knows yet. It will be good to have little ones around.

  “Hey, Ruby,” Gabe calls, walking into my living room where I’m sprawled out on the couch reading a book.

  “Gabe, my favorite twin.” I close my book and sit up.

  “Yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes and plops down beside me. As soon as he does, a new scent envelops my senses. It’s spicy and smells like pine trees and cinnamon. My body starts to tingle, and my mind stops racing for the first time in forever. I’m caught up in the scent when Gabe grabs my kindle out of my hands. “What are you reading today?” He starts reading aloud and my cheeks immediately burn. “‘His large hands gripped my dress and tore it from my heated body.’ Jesus Ruby, you need to find your mate so you can get laid already.”

  “Oh, you’re one to talk Gabriel. I know what you’re up to-”

  “And you’re going to keep that little gem to yourself, Ruby, until I figure it out.”

  I don’t know what he’s so worried about. Everything will turn out the way it is supposed to. I quirk my eyebrow at him. “Why are you here? Aren’t we supposed to be meeting at Cole and Aubree’s in about an hour for family dinner?”

  “I wanted to see if you were up for a run. My bear needs to get out, he’s been clawing at me all day.”

  “Sounds good, give me a minute.”

  I go into the kitchen and check the squash casserole and see that it’s almost done. I turn my oven off and leave the dish inside to keep it warm.

  “Tell me you made your rolls too,” Gabe begs, lifting up the kitchen towel that is covering my rolls that are still rising.

  I smack his hand, and he pouts. “Get out of that. You’re going to mess them up, and then you won’t have any rolls for dinner tonight.”

  “Fine, I’ll meet you out there.”

  I go outside and around the house for some privacy before I change into my bear. I meet Gabe in the yard where he has already shifted into his bear. We run off into the forest and go out for a good forty minutes before we get back to my house and shift back. There’s always something special about changing into my bear. Not only do I have better senses, but my second sight is even stronger, not that it helped today. Yeah, I smelled it on Gabe, but I didn’t know what it meant. Whatever it is, it’s important.

  “You want me to drive tonight?” Gabe asks while I’m putting the rolls into the oven.

  “Sounds good. I’m going to take a quick shower before we leave.”

  “And by quick, you mean you need me to take the rolls out of the oven?” He mutters, knowing full well that I can hear him.

  “Thanks, Gabe,” I call from halfway down the hall on my way back to my room.

  I shower quickly but spend extra time getting ready for tonight, making sure my hair is done and not just thrown up in a ponytail. I even put on a little makeup, which I usually don’t bother with. I pull on a long sleeve, cranberry colored t-shirt dress and leggings to match. I decide on my leather knee boots to round out the outfit and check myself out in the mirror to make sure I look okay. I shake my head at my reflection. Why am I trying so hard? I’m only going to be seeing family tonight, and they don’t care what I look like. I spray on my favorite perfume and then put my coat on.

  When I walk out of my room, Gabe is distracted by whatever he’s reading on his phone. I wish he knew that we all love him no matter what. He’s got such a big heart and is one of the most loyal people I know. He’ll figure it out, I just hope it’s before anything terrible happens.

  “You ready?” I ask, causing him to shove his phone into his pocket and look up at me.

  “What did you get all fancy for?” He pulls a chunk of my hair. “You even did your hair. You never do your hair.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Leave me alone you goof. I just felt like it, that alright with you?”

  “You look nice is all, you never dress up. It’s nice to see you like this. You deserve a mate Ruby, and if things keep going the way they are, I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”

  My stomach twists. Even though I want a mate more than anything in this world, I don’t think I’m cut out for it. I saw what it did to my father when my mom died and left him alone. The older I got, the more I could feel and understand my father’s pain. Nothing in life is certain, I’m not sure I’m willing to go through what he did. Then I look at my brothers and see how happy they are. I feel the love they have for their mates. Saying no to something like that would be hard.

  Shaking my head, I sure am glad I don’t need to worry about that now. I’ll see it when my mate comes, and I can figure it out before we even have to meet. I go into the kitchen and grab the casserole that Gabe kindly wrapped up for me and put the warm rolls into a basket, then put them on top of the casserole dish. “I’m ready,” I call.

  “Good I’m starved. You think Aubree made something for dessert?” Gabe questions immediately making me giggle.

  “Well, she is a pastry chef Gabe, and she makes a dessert every time we come for family dinner. So I think the odds are good.” I laugh and nudge my brother. “Come on, let’s go. I have a good feeling about tonight.”

  He rolls his eyes at me but helps me into his company truck, so I don’t spill the food I’m carrying. When we arrive at Cole’s, Slate and Maura are already there standing in the big kitchen my brother just finished renovations on.

  “Hey, sis.” Slate says then kisses my cheek. He grabs my dish and places it on the counter for me. Cole and Aubree are making the finishing touches
on dinner. While Aubree tosses the salad, Cole is carving a beef brisket. I inhale the smell of food but catch that scent again that I smelled on Gabe earlier. Not knowing what it is, is driving me crazy.

  “Maura, how are you?” I ask hugging my brother’s mate.

  Slate brings me a hard cider from the fridge, and we all sit at the long dining room table my brother just built. “Cole you did an amazing job on this table. Do you think it’s big enough?” I joke, running my hands along the smooth wood that he stained a dark cherry color.

  He grins and winks at his mate. “I had to make sure it could hold our growing family since we’re starting to find our mates, plus all of our cubs we’ll be having soon.”

  Maura’s eyes get big, and a huge smile spreads across her face. “You’re pregnant?” She cries and hops to hug Aubree.

  Aubree smacks his arm before Maura engulfs her in a hug. “Cole Major, I told you I wasn’t sure yet, and I wanted to wait to tell them until it was official.”

  We all take turns giving Aubree and Cole hugs and telling the pair congratulations. I knew it was coming, but I’m so happy that it’s out and everyone knows. We’re all in the kitchen talking excitedly about the cubs when I smell that same scent from earlier, except this time it is a hundred times stronger. My eyes sharpen, and I look in the direction of where it’s coming from and my eyes land on a ruggedly handsome stranger standing at Cole’s back door staring at me intently. He’s got to be well over six feet tall with thick dark hair cut in a crew cut, and a little longer on top, so it’s swept over to the side. Damn, he’s filling every single one of my boxes, and I can find nothing about this man that remotely turns me off.

  “Rett!” Everyone calls happily, and I feel like I’m missing something. Who the hell is Rett and why is he suddenly so important? As he walks further into the kitchen, I watch him intently, studying his form and his every movement, until his eyes find mine and my bear chuffs excitedly inside me. “Oh shit,” I mumble, knowing exactly who this delicious man is. He’s my mate.